Rolling Benches

What are Rolling Benches?

Benches or greenhouse benches are level surfaces or platforms that are used to support plants above the ground. Rolling benches are moveable greenhouse benches that increase igloo and greenhouse space.

Rolling benches have a simple and economical design. When needed, you can move it by simply rolling it side to side.

Why use rolling benches?

According to the book “So you want to start a nursery”, when rolling benches are properly used, usable bench space can be increased to 80%. For example, if you increase the usable production space in a 186 square meters greenhouse from 60% to 80%, you gain 37 extra square metres. If your greenhouse generates an averages of $60 per square metre, the rolling benches can generate an extra $24,000 of income per greenhouse.

By comparing increased production figures to the cost of the benching, you can determine the economics (ROI) of switching to rolling benches.

By using rolling benches in your greenhouse, up to 30 percent more growing space can be gained when isles are utilised. This is known as “Floating Isle Bench System”.

Rolling benches are also ideally suitabled for labour intensive crops which require a lot of work undertaken in the green house.

In short, the benefits of using rolling benching are:

Improve production: Increase the useful area in a greenhouse by about 20-30%

Labour saving: The movement of benches and access to plants is improved with reduce excessive walking

Increasing profits: More production output with the same greenhouse space

WH&S benefit: Reduce the risk of getting back injury due to less bending and stretching

Why choose C-mac’s Rolling Benches?

C-Mac’ rolling benches provide the necessary quality and durability to resist the potentially harsh greenhouse environment. Rolling benches create wider pathways and make it easy for staff to gain access to the right plants.

Here is how it works:

Galvanised steel post frames are concreted into the ground or bolted onto existing concrete. Adjustable legs can be provided to allow for uneven or sloping concrete floors.

Pipes sit on top of the dura galvanised square hollow sections

Benches then sit on these rolling pipes.

Retaining brackets or anti tip brackets under the moving mesh bench limits the distance that the tables can travel and prevents benches overbalancing when loading or unloading

Moving the benches sideways is surprisingly smooth and easy, creating a pathway wherever needed. Providing easy access to the plants you need to maintain.

C-Mac’s Rolling Benches Features

Specification

Rolling benches made to any length, to suit your igloos or shade areas

Can be custom built to any height you require (750-850mm ergonomic working height)

Tops of benches standard with galvanised mesh and made to a width to suit your requirements.

*[Owner]* An industrial laundry system service company needed repairs and redesign done to their tooling. C-Mac made changes to the tooling to make access and ease of use to decrease service down times.

*[Service Manager]* An industrial fan service company had a failure of a major shopping centre air conditioning fan/ blower. C-Mac repaired the unit within a 24hr turn around for minimum downtime.

*[Owner/Manager]* A major food manufacturer specializing in tomato sauce had a filling machine breakdown. The machine was brought to C-Mac and repaired in 24hrs for minimum downtime of the production line costing $5,000 per hour.

*[RAAF - Warrant Officer]* Airfield support staff required a portable sandbagging frame and requested a design, prototype and trials at no cost. There was nothing suitable on the market i.e. made in Australia. "Sandbagging Frames":materials-handling/1-bagging-equipment#silt-bagging-frame are now on the national procurement data base and some probably overseas at different war zones.

*[Mechanical Design Engineer]* An automotive transmission design customer needed help with designing an automatic transmission gear prototype. We suggested and engineered a more cost effective and practical way for the mass production stage.

*[Nursery Manager]* At an exhibition saw our self tracking nursery trailers and indicated he had a costly issue transporting large (heavy) pots containing advanced trees. Existing method was a bobcat. C-Mac designed and quoted for the manufacture of a Self Tracking “Low Loader”. His comment on the first day of using "Low Loader trailer":nursery-equipment/7-trailers/#low-loader-self-tracking-trailer “Can now move 100 litre pots with trees, 150 metres in 1 hr and not get a sore back”.

*[Purchasing Officer]* A mining design and machining company needed help with machining components urgently as they were too busy to keep up with the demand. C-Mac machined the components so the deadline could be met.

*[General Manager]* Customer had to submit a proposal and compete against other countries for the manufacturing facility. C-Mac submitted drawings to show there was space in existing plant to install the new process and to comply with all Australian OH&S Standards. Working together with customer to submit proposal to the Head Office overseas WON the contract. Project was a success meeting 6month lead time and budget.

*[Nursery Owner]* Needed a specific Potting & Mixing machine. for his yuccas nursery, but the problem was it was no longer manufactured. From his description and specifications our engineers designed and modelled in 3D software his requirements. "Potting Machine":nursery-equipment/3-potting-machines/ was manufactured and fully tested with potting media in our workshop, video was then sent to customer who was very pleased with the results. Machine disassembled and freighted interstate and installed.

*[Maintenance Engineer]* An industrial hydraulic fitting manufacturer had problems with gear and shaft breakages with their machinery. They also had problems repairing and maintaining. C-Mac offered to repair and maintain their machinery on-site instead of having to permanently employ fitters.